Parents: Do you think high school is too young for teens to read Romeo & Juliet?

Well, though I'm not a parent, as a high schooler myself, here is my answer. Romeo and Juliet isn't bad for teens to read, in fact, teens can read anything (as long as it's not porn or a dummies' guide for murder), it all matters on the parents. No matter what the teacher tries to say, either saying that Romeo and Juliet should be a role model or not, it's the parents' job to say whether or not their child should believe in it. It's a great test to see how much your children actually LISTEN to you, though sometimes it tends to put a bad turn. Great parenting has to do with making your child listen and talk to you. If you are concerned about your children having Romeo and Juliet as their role models, don't take it on the school, TALK to your child first. It's not exactly the school's fault if the child ends up killing themselves for a boy/girl. The first question that should come out should be "Didn't anybody tell them NOT to do that?" "Didn't someone try to PREVENT that?".

Romeo and Juliet is a dramatic tale of forbidden lovers who ended up killing themselves for love, and yes, I find it might bring out bad behavior for anybody who believes that they should do it. But last year, I myself read Romeo and Juliet, and again I read it this year, but I never said afterwards "I'll get a boyfriend even if my parents disapprove!". Instead, I chuckled and went "Wow, such idiotic kids and parents... This is what happens when there's a misunderstanding or a lack of listening".

The school is at fault for other things, like not stopping bullying, or serving rotten food in cafeterias, hell, even dirty and infectious bathrooms. But whether or not the child listens and believes in stories like Romeo and Juliet, is up to the PARENTS. It's tiring to see that the parents let go of their job as a parent, and just blames somebody else like "Oh crap..Hey you! You did this!", it's childish and wrong. I suggest leaving the Romeo and Juliet play alone, it's a start in performance career. Instead, take matters into your own hands, talk to your child and make them listen.

Wow, I was expecting a really silly question in here but this is actually very well thought out and provocative! I wish I could formulate an answer that is worthy of your question but all I can simply say is that people of all ages can and do experience love. Maybe not lust or sexual desire but love may very well be the first emotion we all feel (in reference to parental love). Thing is times were different back in Shakespeare time when girls wed as soon as they were of child bearing age and live expectancy was only to the 50's. Now our society deems education and self sufficiency with greater esteem and marriage and love have taken somewhat of a back burner. That does not mean love and dating should take a back burner, just everything in it's due time. And to practice for that teens need to date so they know who they are and what they want but they also need to be informed of the fallback of making very adult decisions at a pre-adult age. There can always be a happy compromise and most of us can attest that we've achieved that by dating throughout high school and college, beginning a career, and then settling into marriage and children.

If anything I would encourage reading Romeo and Juliet because many of the themes are still present to today's society. Kids still fall in love without family or society acceptance, they still commit suicide, they still sneak around doing things they aren't supposed to. There is always something to be learned from literature.

I don't know anyone personally who sees Romeo and Juliet as "role models" for loving couples. Perhaps examples of what not to do. Even as a young teen when I read this (in the 8th grade), I thought it was a stupid expression of love--killing one's self because their lover had died. That is not equivalent of "fighting for it", in my opinion. Nor is this what is taught. When Shakespeare IS taught, no matter which play (all of which could be viewed as evil and not good), it is the literary elements that are usually the focus, not the characters or storyline as a way to live or be. If teen lovers do commit suicide because of this play, then clearly they have not been well taught the difference between real love and infatuation and that would be a sad case for all. However, I don't think stuff like this should be banned on those grounds.

If your children have any brains at all, they will know, or come to understand, that the life expectancy in that time period was much shorter than it is now. It was not unusual for a person to marry at that age, because people did not live that long.

There are children in my daughter's grade 5 class calling themselves "boyfriend and girlfriend" and I don't think they have even heard of Romeo and Juliet. Classic plays aren't influencing today's youth, modern television and movies are.

If all you're getting out of Shakespeare is that teens should hook up, you have bigger problems than teen romance.

And true love is a worthy thing. But true love isn't a bl0w job in the back seat of your boyfriend's car when you are 14-years-old. That's not worth fighting for. True love is also worth waiting for.

Here we start Shakespeare before high school. Students will be reading Romeo and Juliet when they're13-14.

I don't see anything wrong with the content. If anything it sounds as if the parents you mention wish to return to society's treatment of women in Shakespeare's time.

Reading this play isn't going to "inspire" anyone to find a partner. By the time a young person is in high school, they're at a point in their life where biology and social norms tell them to start seeking a partner.

I would let my daughter read this as a teenager. In fact, when she's old enough to sit through a play (5-7) I'll be taking her to the summer Shakespeare festival.

This is precisely the age-group which is dealing with these emotions.

The play story is an ideal background for discussion of such issues.

Parents need to engage their children about such bad decisions.

Teens watch AV's for God's sake ! an innocent play like Romeo&Juliet is not going to corrupt them geez

Kids don't need "Romeo & Juliet" to tell them to get together. Hormones is all they need.

i was having sex and smoking drugs in middle school because my parents never taught me shitt, if this is your biggest problem your doing ok

you know what it might be too young